trivia

noun

triv·​ia ˈtri-vē-ə 

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

a

: unimportant matters : trivial facts or details

But all this is trivia. Feshbach's basic concerns run deeper.

—Cullen Murphy

b

: facts (as about people or events) that are not well-known

celebrity trivia

What follows is a small glossary of golf slang and trivia to help you talk as good a game as you play …

—Rachel Urquhart

—often used before another noun

a trivia book

trivia buffs

2

singular in construction : a quizzing game involving obscure facts

—often used before another noun

trivia night

Examples of trivia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Science trivia makes multiple appearances too, but there’s nothing ridiculously obscure or specific. —Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025

Hermès Hermès’s nail enamel comes in 24 stunning shades, inspired by the emblematic number of 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the brand’s iconic address in Paris since 1880—perfect for your next nail polish trivia night. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2025

One of my favorite bits of trivia about the film is that the movie had to have the toy monkey playing a snare drum, as the concept of a toy monkey slamming cymbals together is owned by Disney. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

What: Activities will include a krewes contest for groups of three or more people dressed in a theme, as well as a Parade of the Paws, a king cake-eating contest, a Mardi Gras trivia contest and a DJ. Admission: Free. —Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, back-formation from Latin trivialis

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

trivia

singular or plural noun

triv·​ia ˈtriv-ē-ə 

: unimportant matters